Zhang Yuanqing stared at the imperial master's golden eyes and said loudly: "At this critical moment, I would like to ask for the imperial master's protection, for the sake of the Southern Dynasty and the people."
His voice was so loud that it was heard clearly above the noise and by the officials and people present.
Many eyes turned to the Imperial Master. Xie Lingxi, who was among the crowd, called out crisply, "Please ask the Imperial Master to protect His Majesty for the people and the court."
She didn't know why Brother Yuanshi wanted to join the dragon alone, but she knew that she just needed to cooperate with Brother Yuanshi unconditionally.
Wang Beiwang, Red Chicken Brother Xiaoyuan and Stop Killing Palace Master also cooperated unconditionally. With their teammates actively leading the pace, the people began to follow suit.
I beg the Chinese Master to protect this tyrant whom I hate with gnashing teeth every time he is mentioned.
The Imperial Master was silent for a long time and then slowly said, "Yes."
Zhang Yuanqing turned into a golden light and disappeared into the Qing Tower. He looked at Zheng Wenhan with a smile and said, "Prime Minister Zheng, I have to handle government affairs in the Tianji Tower. I will leave the task of investigating spies in the Imperial City Department to you. If you fail to find any spies who are secretly communicating with the Northern Dynasty within three days, you must bring your heads to me!"
He was conveying to Zheng Wenhan that I was trying to delay the war, meaning that the conflict between the two sides could not be resolved and would not end until one side was dead.
But rebellion is a taboo after all. The plan for the heavenly sacrifice ceremony failed. If he had not been forced to do so, Zheng Wenhan would definitely have chosen to wait until he was fully prepared before taking action.
Zhang Yuanqing chose not to touch the Imperial City Bureau and not to expose his rebellion, which was to give Zheng Wenhan a way out and prevent him from rebelling directly.
Zheng Wenhan knew it very well.
But he could only walk down the stairs. In front of the crowd, he suppressed his emotions and bowed, saying, "I understand."
In the alchemy room on the eighth floor of Tianji Tower, Zhang Yuanqing leaned on the orchid and looked at the common people, who were like ants, and streams were flowing in different directions along the streets.
Two hundred city defense troops and two hundred Imperial City Division soldiers were lined up in the square outside the Tianji Tower. The former were troops controlled by the Yang family, and the latter belonged to Zheng Jiaming.
Further away, on the main road connecting to the imperial city, luxurious carriages were heading towards the Tianji Tower. Some of them were the carriages of cabinet officials, and some were the eunuchs in the palace.
The former was because the emperor had ordered that government affairs should be handled in the Tianji Tower, so cabinet officials were needed to assist in the work in the Tianji Tower, and the latter were to serve His Majesty the Monkey Emperor.
Zhang Yuanqing withdrew his gaze and walked out of the alchemy room.
"Your Majesty, please stay." The middle-aged Taoist priest guarding the door of the alchemy room stopped him and said cautiously without any expression.
"The Imperial Master has ordered that you can only rest in this room and cannot go out or walk around in the Tianji Tower."
Zhang Yuanqing looked at the middle-aged Taoist priest. He had a fair and beardless face, bright eyes, and a spirited look, and it seemed that he had achieved great cultivation.
"I want to see the national teacher." he said.
"The Imperial Master is comprehending the Heavenly Art and he won't see anyone." The middle-aged Taoist looked straight ahead, his gaze not changing because of his status as an emperor.
All the Taoists in Tianji Tower looked down on the emperor and despised imperial power.
Zhang Yuanyu curled his lips secretly and muttered: "If I kill you now, do you think the Imperial Master will stop me? Will he avenge you? Or do you think I can't kill you?"
When he said the last word, he unleashed a mental attack that sounded like a harsh noise, like a sharp steel needle.
The middle-aged Taoist priest's eyes went dark, veins on his forehead bulged and his face twitched, but his nose was black and no blood came out.
Level five? Shit! If they really fight, it's unclear who will win or lose! Zhang Yuanqing was surprised but remained calm on the surface, maintaining a relaxed and smiling attitude.
After a few seconds, the middle-aged Taoist recovered from his mental damage. Looking at the tyrant emperor, there was more fear and surprise in his eyes. Dan Miao said: "Since your majesty wants to see the national teacher, then I will pass on the message for you." He opened his mouth and spit out a yin energy, and a sword-like spirit servant in white clothes floated away.
Zhang Yuanqing turned back to the alchemy room, sat cross-legged on the cushion, and ordered his spirit servants to bring the low table, bucket, and charcoal from the corner to start boiling water and making tea.
When bubbles appeared at the bottom of the water in the pot, a golden light passed through the wall into the alchemy room and turned into an old Taoist priest with a fairy-like appearance.
It came so quickly, the water wasn't even turned on yet, and Zhang Yuanqing scooped some water from the bucket to wash the tea set.
He never raised his eyes from what he was doing, not even glancing at the other person, even though the person sitting opposite him at the low table was a master.
"Your Majesty, aren't you afraid that I will kill you?" The Imperial Preceptor's expression was indifferent and his tone was vague and indifferent, like a great master who had reached the supreme state of oblivion.
Zhang Yuanqing used a bamboo clip to pick up the teacup and drain the water. "If you could kill me, you could have done it a few years ago. Why bother spending so much energy? Before, I only knew that you might have concerns and didn't want to kill me yourself. Today, I understand the reason!"
"What do you understand?" the national teacher asked calmly.
"Lian is the ruler of a country, and he is protected by dragon energy. Killing me will cause you to suffer the Five Degenerations of Heaven and Man." Zhang Yuanqing's tone was also very calm, as if he was chatting with Chang. "So you want to use the Zheng family and Madam Ya to kill me."
The state teacher's expression was still cold. "I can still let the Zheng family kill you. There are many ways to kill you. I don't need to do it myself. Entering the Tianji Tower does not mean you are safe."
Zhang Yuanqing stared into the eyes of the national teacher without changing his expression and smiled, "You have missed the best opportunity to kill me. Now I don't care about two or three level six people. There are soldiers from the city defense army and the Imperial City Bureau downstairs. Besides, you dare not let me die in Tianji Tower. This will make the people question you, accuse you, and no longer trust you, so that the dragon energy in your body will weaken or even dissipate."
Upon hearing this, Master Hu's eyes flashed with a gleam, his long hair and sleeves moved without wind, and his aura was intimidating.
"How do you know all this?" His voice was loud and deep, no longer ethereal.
Zhang Yuanqing laughed, "The Imperial Master has figured out all the mysteries of heaven, why would you ask me?"
Living in Tianji Tower was his brilliant move to turn the tables. Everyone knew that the Imperial Master was a master of nature, so if the emperor died in Tianji Tower, it must have been the Imperial Master who killed him.
The most dangerous place is the safest place. This is the solution that Zhang Yuanqing figured out after thinking hard for a whole night.
Enter Tianji Tower to ensure your own safety and then find a way to weaken Zheng Wenhan's power. Accumulate your own strength and prepare for the final battle.
The state teacher, who looked like a sage, showed no emotion on his face. At this time, the water in the pot began to boil.
Zhang Yuanqing seemed not to notice the abnormality of the national teacher. He picked up the kettle and slowly made tea. Although he didn't know much about tea, he had been dealing with rich and powerful people for a long time and had seen a lot, so he naturally learned to make tea elegantly.
He took a sip of the hot tea. "Good tea. This place may look simple, but the tea leaves in any Dan are better than those in my imperial palace. You two have nothing to enjoy except women. Everything is better than Lian, but you are thinking about destroying the Southern Dynasty."
"The Southern Dynasty has run out of luck." said the Imperial Master.
Zhang Yuanqing sneered, "As expected, they want to destroy the Southern Dynasty. The so-called support for the Zheng family is just a lie. It's a pity that Zheng Wenpiao believed it. After years of being in the officialdom, the university scholars were blinded by the desire for power. Everyone says that the national teacher loves the people like his own children, but they don't know that he deceived the king into indulging in sensual pleasures and indulging in dual cultivation. Everyone says that the national teacher has a kind heart and is dedicated to saving the world, but they don't know that he is eroding the destiny of the Southern Dynasty bit by bit and wants to push millions of people into war and purgatory."
"National Master, why are you like this?"
"It is God's will!" The Imperial Master's tone returned to its ethereal and indifferent tone.
Zhang Yuanqing said disdainfully, "It's not hard to guess. With your realm as the National Master, money, beauty and lust cannot dazzle your eyes. The only thing you desire is the all-powerful cultivation and supreme realm. The Taoist in the Tianji Tower said that you have reached a critical moment in your closed-door cultivation. Let me guess that you want to take advantage of the opportunity of the Northern Dynasty's southern expedition to destroy the Southern Dynasty. In this way, you can take the last national destiny of the Southern Dynasty away from the Zhao family and use it as a stepping stone for you to reach a higher realm, right?"
The Imperial Master nodded, and Zhang Yuanqing bowed his head and said, "Is it possible for Imperial Master to teach me the secret technique?"
The imperial teacher refused.
"You old man don't know how to be polite." Zhang Yuanqing immediately turned hostile and snorted, "I've heard that the national master knows everything about astronomy and geography. I will use the world as chess pieces and all living beings as pieces to play a game of chess with you, okay?"
The teacher laughed. “Interesting.”
He made a gesture of invitation. "Your Majesty, please make your move.
Zhang Yuanqing laughed and said, "My first son is called Kill One and Bury Two."
In the Hongtu Hall of the Cabinet, incense was burning and six university scholars were sitting at the desk. Zheng Wenhan picked up the tea bowl, pinched the lid carefully, and gently stroked the thin rim, sipping the tea slowly and leisurely.
The five university scholars, including Yang Zheng, were silent. Zheng Wenhan put down his tea bowl and said, "I disagree."
His memorial listed a list of sixteen corrupt officials, and the person he impeached was a close confidant of Yang Zheng, the Censor of the Censorate and a senior official.
Without waiting for the five academicians to speak, Zheng Wenhan said, "The frontline defenders need a stable rear to fight the enemy. Most of the officials on the list hold important positions and it is not appropriate to move them at this time. Besides, whether these people are corrupt or not needs to be verified. It is recommended to tamper with the accounts in the autumn."
More than half of those impeached were Zheng Wenhan's men. Yang Zhengju argued, "Because this is an extraordinary period, we need to get rid of these pests. How can we hand over power to a cancer?"
Zheng Wenhan said calmly, "There is no need to discuss this matter any further. You cannot suspend him for investigation."
Yang Zheng and Zheng Wenhan engaged in a heated debate, with four university scholars arguing and mediating. One was neutral, two took sides, and Zheng Wenhan remained steadfast.
The political power in the Southern Dynasties was, from top to bottom, the emperor's cabinet and the six ministries. The cabinet was composed of six grand secretaries, and the grand secretaries Zheng Wenhan and Yang Zhengwei also served as the right prime minister and the left prime minister at the same time.
In the political system of the Southern Dynasties, there was both a cabinet and a prime minister. Although the cabinet had great power, it was suppressed by the imperial power, but the prime minister was not like that. The prime minister's power could threaten the imperial power.
Therefore, there were many conflicts between the emperor and the cabinet. In the 500-year history of the Southern Dynasties, there were many examples of the prime minister's power undermining the imperial power.
The power of Zhao Shun, who sits in the palace, has long been hollowed out by the cabinet. It is only the right prime minister Yang Zheng, rather than the imperial power, who is now playing games with Zheng Wenhan in the form and identity of a mascot.
The two sides negotiated from noon to dusk without success and parted in exhaustion and unhappiness.
A ray of bloody sunset from the Tianji Tower shone through the observation platform into the alchemy room. It was condensed from a ray of divine thought. The state teacher sat cross-legged at the table and said calmly, "Your Majesty, you don't care about state affairs. Why do you think that a word of imperial decree will make the cabinet surrender? You want to punish the treacherous ministers and win the hearts of the people. This is a stupid move."
Sun Miaomiao opened the gang warehouse, took out Little Red Riding Hood, put it on her head, turned into starlight and left Yang Mansion.
She went to a rice shop with a clear purpose and saw that the granary was filled with rice grains. "Tsk tsk, the refugees outside the city are all eating tree bark, but the rice in the grain merchant's house is piled up like a mountain."
She opened the inner space of the little red pot and put all the grain in the warehouse into it. Then she turned into starlight and left. She went in and out of various rice shops all night long, and the merchants wanted to steal grain from the homes of court ministers.